Juneteenth Freedom Student Artistic Expression Contest 2023 Winners
Congratulations to our winning entries! We had dozens of entries and a tough decision process. For a limited time, these are also on display at Hingham Town Hall on the first floor bulletin board near the Board of Health Offices.
Pre-K to Grade 2: James Canavan, grade 2, Foster Elementary School
Grades 3-6: Original Poem by Claire Sullivan, Gr 6, Hingham Middle School
Equality
A simple serve of justice
A crisis having to be silently fought
A gift taken for granted by so many
Think back to the cries
Think back to the blood, sweat, and tears
All given
However no respect given in return
Children, teens, and adults
All fighting for everyone else
The heroes in the story
That somehow seemed drowned out
Too many years to be silent
Too many times to be hushed
Too many times pushing and pushing
To only receive more grueling tasks
This is why we celebrate
The secret signs of peace
So let’s all stand together
And live in harmony
Grades 7-12: Original Poem by Declan Kelley, Gr 10, Hingham High School
An Important Day
Juneteenth, a day of jubilation,
When freedom came to a nation.
A day to celebrate and remember,
The end of slavery, a time to treasure.
For too long, chains had held them down,
Their spirits crushed, their dreams unbound.
But on that day, they saw the light,
And broke free from their endless night.
They danced and sang, and raised their voice,
In celebration of their newfound choice.
No longer bound by cruel masters,
They could finally chart their own adventures.
Juneteenth reminds us of the past,
And all the struggles that didn’t last.
We honor those who fought and died,
And never gave up in their strive.
It’s important to celebrate this day,
For the battle for freedom didn’t end in May.
We must continue to fight for justice,
And never let our resolve lose its focus.
So let us gather with friends and kin,
And raise our glasses in a joyful din.
For Juneteenth is a day to be proud,
Of the strength and courage that we endowed.